Needless controversy

It is high time that the BJP restrained the antagonistic politics for which it uses the likes of Sangeet Som

BJP legislator Sangeet Som said the Taj Mahal was built by a ‘traitor’ who specifically targeted Hindus during his reign. Photo: HT

The Yogi Adityanath government has found a way of courting one controversy after the other during its brief stint in Uttar Pradesh. The latest was sparked by the non-inclusion of the Taj Mahal in a tourism department booklet.

Defending the move, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Sangeet Som said the Mughal monument was built by a “traitor” who specifically targeted Hindus during his reign.

Not known to be left behind in such verbal spats, Azam Khan of the Samajwadi Party retorted that all the monuments that remind one of slavery should be destroyed, including Parliament and the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The BJP has, however, distanced itself from Som’s remarks and Adityanath has also acknowledged the contributions of local labourers in the Taj Mahal’s construction.

But it is high time that the BJP restrained the antagonistic politics for which it uses the likes of Som. The Adityanath government would also do well to focus unequivocally on economic growth in Uttar Pradesh, one of the most backward states in the country.